Synergistic mode II delamination toughening of composites using multi-scale carbon-based reinforcements

This paper presents an investigation into the synergistic improvements to the mode II interlaminar fracture toughness of composites using multi-scale carbon reinforcements spanning the nano to millimetre length scales. Varying volume fractions of carbon nanofibres (CNFs) and millimetre-long carbon fibre z-pins were used to increase the mode II delamination resistance of multi-scale reinforced composites. The results reveal that adding CNFs into...